CHAPER 12: ETHAN'S STORY

"About 20 people lay dead, apparently stabbed. Those people were the house staffs. The maids, the guards, the chefs, the butler, Ethan's father's caretakers... All of them, with their eyes open..."

Alec paused. I looked at Ethan's trembling hands. He, too, realized and put his hands away, under the table.

"Ethan.." Ellie let out the smallest whisper. I noticed a tear fall down her face.

I knew very well, that those people were the only ones who cared for Ethan.

I learned the reason to why his father hated him and hurt him so much, over a month after I first met him.

**

(14 years ago)

It was at the same park. Peter, who was the son of my mother's best friend, had come over for the holidays, after taking some weeks of from his label, where he was training to become a singer in Korea.

Peter and Ethan met through me. They got close very quickly too. The three of us were supposed to meet up for a new thing, where we used our powers and learned to control them.

Apparently, Ethan go these sessions frequently back home. And he had told us about it so Peter suggested that he helps us with ours.

The night came. Peter and I waited for 3 whole hours until Ethan finally showed up. He apologized and pretended that everything was fine.

We knew it wasn't. He was bruised. It was obvious that he had tried his best to cover up- by wearing brand new clothes and looking and smelling like he just came out from an amazing warm bath.

"Ethan! What the hell happened?" I cried out.

"Everything's fine. Look I'm already late. And your parents will get worried if youre not back home in 10 minutes." He pointed at me. He spoke as if nothing had happened. But both Peter and I could tell by his voice that he wanted to just cry.

Then Peter spoke in a quite voice. "Ethan. You have to tell us everything. Seriously." He put emphasis on the last word

"Peter's right. Did your father do this to you?" I asked.

He considered for a second, then bobbed his head.

"I'll tell you.. just promise-"

"You don't have to ask us to promise anything.. we will never tell anyone without your consent." I spoke before he could finish.

"Thanks" he mumbled. He led to the bench. I sat down first, and Ethan sat next to me, just like the day we first met. Peter sat in front of us on the grass.

"Well..* He started. "I'm not my father's biological son.. he found that out a few weeks before my mother died from cancer "

I didn't know what to say. He made many pauses while continuing.

"Apparently, my mother had was planning on divorcing my father a few years after my brother, Edward, was born. But she got pregnant with me... So she decided to stay, cause she needed the support. I only found out about this the same day my father did.."

"I overheard my parents arguing. Father knew everything.. My mother's friend had told him everything. That I wasn't his kid.. I saw him hit my mother for the first time."

He broke off. He wasn't crying, but I could see the pain in his eyes.

I was just a 12 year old, planning to move to a different state by myself, to become a trainee for an entertainment industry with Peter, who had applied for -- entertainment and got accepted on his first try.

It was Ethan's idea for me to audition for that company as well, after hearing my heavenly singing voice, which Peter thought was an over statement.. And so my flight was supposed to be on the next day.

But right now, my blood was boiling. Ethan's father is a horrible man. It wasn't Ethan's fault! How could he hurt him so much.

"Do you know who your..er.. birth father is?" Peter asked hesitantly. I looked at him in disbelief and tilted my head in question. He looked at my and I mouthed 'whats wrong with you?' He just shook his head.

"Nope. I've tried finding out obviously. Uve asked around some of the oldest housekeepers at the manor too. But none of them know either.. They just say that the lady rarely ever left the house. And she was never seen with any man besides her father, my grandfather, before he passed."

"What about your siblings. Haven't they ever tried standing up for you?" I asked not paying attention to Ethan's response to Peter.

"In their defense, 'i deserve it'." He replied in a bitter voice.

"You deserve it? DESERVE IT? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM? FORGOT YOUR STUPID FATHER. AT LEAST THEY ARE BLOOD-RELATED TO YOU AREN'T THEY, SO WHY??!" I was so mad.

Ethan simply blinked a couple of times, surprised to see me this angry. And Peter had his mouth open in amusement.

I've always assumed that Ethan had problems with his family and was very obviously going through domestic abuse, and I had even asked him about it, but he had avoided it everytime.

But this? How can his siblings not care about him. Sara, his eldest sister, Edward, his older brother. Neither?

"To be fair, they wouldn't be able to do anymore. If they help me, father would hurt them too..."

All three of us just sat there sighing. Peter, soon, got a call from my mother asking when we were coming back. And that it was way past curfew.

"Go back you two. You'll have to wake up early. Get some rest and have a safe flight." Ethan said, smiling. Probably relieved that he was finally able to tell someone about this.

We stayed there in silence for a couple seconds more.

"Come with us" I broke the silence.

"Sorry?" Ethan asked, confused.

"Audition for the company with me."

"Er.. I don't think my family would like for a Clayton to be in the showbiz industry. For us, it'll be like an insult. "

"Kara's right though.. You like singing and choreographing. Choose what you want."

Peter said.

"It s not that easy.." Ethan replied.

"It could be. Please? Just try out once. One time?" I pleaded.

"Hmm.. I'll ask my assistant to book me a flight." He agreed. All of us laughed and chatted for a few more minutes, until Peter again got an angry call from my mom.